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Easy Nutty Chicken Curry Recipe | 20-Minute Dinner

ByLumina Liu August 10, 2025August 14, 2025

You know that feeling — when you’ve been adulting all day, your brain feels like cotton candy, and the thought of making anything more complex than cereal seems impossible?

That was me, holding four chicken breasts that I’d optimistically bought three days earlier, watching them judge me from their styrofoam prison.

My daughter wandered in, took one look at my deer-in-headlights expression, and said, “Mom, just make that peanut butter chicken thing again.

She was referring to this nutty chicken curry recipe that had become our accidental weeknight hero — a dish born from desperation, refined through repetition, and now permanently etched in our family’s rotation.

Here’s the thing about this nutty chicken curry recipe: it doesn’t ask much of you, but it gives everything back.

It’s the culinary equivalent of a good friend who shows up when you’re a mess, doesn’t judge your unwashed hair, and somehow makes everything better.

The ingredient list is refreshingly short (nine items, people!), the technique is forgiving, and the result is a creamy, aromatic curry that tastes like you spent hours stirring and seasoning when you actually spent maybe twenty minutes total.

I’ve made this dish on sick days when I could barely stand upright, on celebration nights when we needed comfort food, and on random Wednesdays when nothing else seemed right.

It’s become my edible security blanket — reliable, warming, and just complex enough to feel like real cooking without requiring a culinary degree.

Why This Nutty Chicken Curry Recipe Works

This particular nutty chicken curry recipe has Indian roots, though it’s been adapted for the modern home kitchen in ways that would probably make purists weep (sorry, not sorry).

Traditional Indian curries often involve elaborate spice blending, long cooking times, and techniques passed down through generations.

This version takes those fundamental flavors — the warming spices, the creamy richness, the aromatic base — and streamlines them into something achievable on a Tuesday night.

The genius lies in the peanut butter. Yes, peanut butter in curry might sound weird if you’ve never tried it, but hear me out.

Peanuts and peanut-based sauces appear throughout Southeast Asian and African cuisines, creating rich, complex flavors that marry beautifully with aromatic spices. In this nutty chicken curry recipe, the peanut butter provides instant creaminess, subtle sweetness, and a nutty depth that would normally require roasting and grinding whole spices.

The fresh paste made from chili, ginger, garlic, and coriander stems creates the aromatic foundation that makes this dish sing. These ingredients are the holy quartet of flavor in so many cuisines — they provide heat, warmth, pungency, and brightness respectively.

When you whizz them together (and yes, I said whizz because sometimes cooking verbs should be fun), you’re creating what’s essentially a fresh curry paste that would cost you twelve dollars at the fancy grocery store.

The Complete Nutty Chicken Curry Recipe

Ingredients You’ll Need

For this nutty chicken curry recipe, you’ll need:

• 1 large red chili
• 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro)
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil (or any neutral oil)
• 4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• 5 tablespoons peanut butter (smooth works best)
• 150ml chicken stock
• 200g Greek yogurt

Step-by-Step Instructions

Making this nutty chicken curry recipe is surprisingly straightforward, but there are a few key techniques that make all the difference. Let me walk you through each step with the kind of detail that would have saved me from early cooking disasters.

Preparing Your Aromatics

First, take that red chili and slice about a quarter of it into thin rounds — these will be your garnish, so make them pretty if you’re feeling fancy (or just chop them roughly if you’re feeling human). The remaining three-quarters of the chili goes into your food processor along with the ginger, garlic, and here’s where it gets interesting — the coriander stalks.

Most people throw away coriander stalks, which is tragic because they contain more flavor than the leaves. They’re like the umami powerhouse hiding in plain sight.

Roughly chop them before adding to the processor. Add about one-third of the coriander leaves too, saving the rest for later.

Now, pulse this mixture until you get a rough paste. Don’t over-process it into baby food consistency — you want some texture.

If your food processor is struggling (we’ve all been there with that sad mini chopper that came free with something else), add a splash of water. Just a splash, though — you’re not making soup.

Browning the Chicken

Heat your oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. While it’s heating, cut your chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks.

I aim for pieces about the size of a large grape — big enough to stay juicy but small enough to cook through quickly.

When the oil shimmers (that’s your visual cue that it’s hot enough), add the chicken. Here’s the crucial part: let it brown.

I know it’s tempting to poke and prod and flip constantly, but resist. Give those pieces a full minute to develop some color.

You’re not cooking them through at this stage — you’re just building flavor through the Maillard reaction (that’s the fancy term for the chemical process that makes browned food taste amazing).

Building the Sauce

After the chicken has developed some color, stir in your aromatic paste. This is where your kitchen starts smelling like something magical is happening.

Cook this mixture for another minute, stirring constantly. You’ll hear it sizzle and pop, and the raw edge of the garlic and ginger will mellow into something warm and inviting.

Next comes the peanut butter — all five tablespoons of it. I prefer smooth peanut butter for this nutty chicken curry recipe because it incorporates more easily, but if crunchy is what you have, it’ll work fine.

Stir it in and watch as it creates this gorgeous, rich base.

Now add the chicken stock gradually, stirring as you go. The mixture might look a bit separated at first — don’t panic.

It’ll come together. Finally, stir in the Greek yogurt.

The key here is to add it slowly and stir constantly to prevent curdling. If your yogurt is straight from the fridge, let it come to room temperature first, or temper it by stirring a spoonful of the hot mixture into it before adding it all to the pan.

The Final Simmer

Once everything is combined and gently bubbling (not a rolling boil — that’ll make your yogurt separate and get grainy), reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. During this time, the chicken will finish cooking through and the sauce will thicken beautifully.

Stir occasionally and taste for seasoning. You might want to add a pinch of salt, depending on how salty your stock and peanut butter are.

Tips for Nutty Chicken Curry Recipe Success

After making this nutty chicken curry recipe approximately forty-seven times (I’m not exaggerating — my family requests it that often), I’ve learned a few tricks that make the difference between good and great.

Don’t Skip the Fresh Paste

I know it’s tempting to use garlic powder and ground ginger, especially when you’re tired and just want dinner on the table. But the fresh aromatics make this dish.

They provide a brightness and complexity that dried spices simply can’t match. If you’re really pressed for time, make a double batch of the paste and freeze half in ice cube trays.

Future you will be grateful.

Temperature Control Matters

Keep that heat at medium-low once you add the yogurt. High heat will cause the yogurt proteins to seize up and separate, giving you a grainy, unappetizing sauce.

If it does happen (and it has happened to me), don’t despair — whisk in a tablespoon of cold water or cream to help bring it back together.

Let It Rest

Like many curry dishes, this nutty chicken curry recipe actually tastes better after sitting for a few minutes. The flavors meld and the sauce thickens slightly.

If you’re meal prepping, this dish reheats beautifully and often tastes even better the next day.

Peanut Butter Quality

Use natural peanut butter if you have it — the kind with just peanuts and maybe salt. The stuff with added sugar and oils works too, but it’ll make your curry slightly sweeter and might affect the texture.

I’ve used everything from fancy almond butter to the store-brand peanut butter that lives in my pantry for emergency PB&J situations, and it all works.

Garnish Game

Don’t underestimate the power of that fresh coriander and sliced chili garnish. It adds color, freshness, and a little heat that brightens the whole dish.

Even if you’re serving this to kids who think herbs are suspicious, put the garnish on the adults’ portions — it makes a difference.

Creative Variations on the Classic

Once you’ve mastered the basic nutty chicken curry recipe, there’s room to play. I’ve experimented with countless variations, some successful, others…

educational.

Vegetarian Version

Swap the chicken for firm tofu (press it first and cut into cubes), chickpeas, or chunks of sweet potato and cauliflower. Reduce the cooking time accordingly — vegetables don’t need as long as chicken to cook through.

I particularly love the sweet potato version in fall when I’m craving something warming and substantial.

Different Proteins

This sauce works beautifully with shrimp (add them in the last 3-4 minutes of cooking), lamb (cut into small pieces and brown well first), or even leftover roasted chicken (just add it in the last few minutes to heat through).

Spice It Up

If you like more heat, add an extra chili or a pinch of cayenne pepper. For warmth without fire, try adding a pinch of ground cinnamon or a few cardamom pods (remove them before serving).

Coconut Variation

Replace half the yogurt with coconut milk for a richer, slightly sweeter version. This works particularly well if you’re serving it to people who aren’t sold on the peanut butter concept — the coconut mellows everything out.

What to Serve with Your Nutty Chicken Curry

This nutty chicken curry recipe is wonderfully versatile when it comes to sides. The traditional choice is basmati rice, and there’s something deeply satisfying about spooning this creamy curry over fluffy grains.

But I’ve served it with mashed sweet potatoes (as suggested in the original recipe), cauliflower rice for lighter fare, naan bread for scooping, and even over baked potatoes when I was feeling creative.

For vegetables, simple steamed broccoli or green beans work well, or you could go with a fresh cucumber salad to cut through the richness. My family particularly loves it with roasted Brussels sprouts, which might sound weird but trust me on this one.

The Reality of Making This Nutty Chicken Curry Recipe

Here’s what I want you to know about making this nutty chicken curry recipe: it’s not going to look like the photo in a cookbook.

Your aromatic paste might be chunkier than mine, your sauce might be a slightly different shade of golden brown, and your garnish might be scattered rather than artfully arranged.

None of that matters.

What matters is that you’ll have created something warm, nourishing, and genuinely delicious in about twenty minutes using ingredients you probably already have.

Your kitchen will smell amazing, your family will be fed, and you’ll have proven to yourself once again that good food doesn’t require perfection — it just requires showing up and trying.

The first time I made this dish, I used crunchy peanut butter (because that’s what I had), forgot to reserve some coriander for garnish (ate it anyway), and slightly overcooked the chicken (still delicious).

It was imperfect and wonderful, which is really the best you can ask for from a Tuesday night dinner.

So go ahead, make this nutty chicken curry recipe your own. Adjust the spice level, swap the proteins, serve it with whatever starch makes you happy.

The beauty of cooking at home is that there are no food critics hiding in your pantry, ready to judge your technique. There’s just you, your family, and the simple satisfaction of turning basic ingredients into something that brings everyone to the table.